The Ultimate Underground Music Showcase Survival Guide

Ah, festival season in Colorado. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Music statewide in venues or under the stars, discovering new artists to obsess over. It can’t be beat! As a music festival veteran and Underground Music Showcase enthusiast, I’ve got some great tips to help you have the best time on South Broadway at the end of July! If you haven’t heard of the Showcase of underground music, it’s a three-day music festival from July 28 to 30 that takes place in the Baker district of Denver. The festival highlights hundreds of acts, from local to national, in a dozen venues, indoors and outdoors. It’s an absolute blast, but it’s a marathon. If you’re headed to UMS like me, I highly recommend checking out my tips and tricks below. Share with your friends! Everyone deserves to be prepared:

Make sure you have a ticket!

This should sound very obvious, but honestly, it’s not. The Underground Music Showcase offers a mix of free and paid venues and shows. You can check their websites for all these details, but if you want to make sure you have access, I suggest you get a day ticket or a weekend pass. They will also be selling tickets at ticket booths on site.

what is your plan Before get there?

Being there at the festival can be a bit hectic. It can be worse if you don’t have a game plan in place. So first, download the UMS app on your phone. It will have push alerts, you can create your schedule, and many other exclusives. In the app it also has the places. Familiarize yourself with the lay of the land. How far you could walk and what places are where. I swear it will happen while you’re at the festival.
Download the app for iPhone Download the app for Android

Don’t drive there!

I’m so serious about this one. Not only is parking normally a nightmare in the Baker District, but imagine the chaos when there’s a huge festival? The residential area around the festival is strict on parking and you will get a ticket if you park incorrectly (I know this from experience). There are also absolutely banana construction projects going on all over the neighborhood, blocking streets and parking meters and even shrinking Lincoln in some places to one or two lanes. Trust me, you don’t want to deal with all that and then miss an act you really want to see. What I suggest is to take public transport. All month and until August RTD is free! You can light rail and walk or take the bus directly at the box office at no charge. Baker also has designated bike lanes to help cyclists feel a little safer. If you want to scooter, bike or board to UMS, you have that option too.

Pack a bag

Yes, UMS allows bags. Don’t go crazy with a massive backpack or tote, you don’t need something like that either, especially in a crowded room. However, plan a few essentials: an empty water bottle (charging stations on site), sunscreen, earplugs, your identity document and your means of payment, a fan/fogger, a battery to keep your phone charged.

Dress for Success

Summer in Colorado can be beautiful, but unpredictable. Especially with all the torrential rains we’ve had lately. Not only will you want to be aware of our ever-changing weather, but also the long hours you’ll be spending standing and walking between sites. I suggest breathable materials and layers to throw in and add throughout the day, suitable shoes, hats and sunglasses to protect you from the sun.

Support a local business… or two, or three!

Baker is covered with small businesses that need our year-round support, but if you’re not in the area often, UMS is the perfect opportunity to get your business on the mend. Looking for clothing stores? Check. Need essential food in the form of many different cuisines? Check. There is something for every taste.

Expand the experience

Is there already a lot in the main UMS footprint? Absolutely, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring and trying other experiences around the festival. Throughout the weekend, there will be in-house shows at homes near South Broadway, secret shows in shops and cafes, and pop-up shows in streets and alleys. I don’t have a website for you to check out all of these things, but I suggest you make friends at the festival as word of mouth is usually the invitation! Also stay up to date with what’s going on by being present. You never know what you’ll pass or what will catch your eye. Follow your heart, it could lead you to a memorable experience!

Ahem… Indie 102.3 is your buddy for the weekend and beyond!

Hello, you are here! Thank you for reading this article and we have resources for you beyond that! Be sure to tune into the radio station for all updates, events, exclusives and of course music from The Underground Music Showcase. I also suggest that you follow us on our social networks. We’ll do all the behind-the-scenes and more on our Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and TikTok accounts. Follow us: @indie1023

Above all, have fun and be safe! We look forward to seeing you at the Underground Music Showcase! Get ready for The UMS with my curated Spotify playlist! All the acts you can see live and in person at the festival.